Reserve Gas Milage

[skeeter]

submerged

[markusmaximus]

Originally Posted by KenBob

I was wondering if the miles that were posted in the replies were based on the odometer reading being:

1) factory stock
2) with speedometer correcting tire size
3) with speedometer correcting electronic device
4) GPS

Being that there has been some debating on the Nomad's odometer/speedometer accuracy, one person's miles per tank may differ greatly from another's in similar conditions. JM2C

Great question Kenbob. I recently test my odo with a GPS and found both to be nearly identical --- my odo registered ~ 0.1 mile less over 20 miles. My speedo continues to overestimate my speed by ~7 or 8%.

So under my normal commuting conditions (frequent stop & go), my light comes on ~ 130 miles. Under highway riding, the light comes on ~ 170 miles. I try to fill up immediately after the first flicker.

BTW, I ride an 05.

[markusmaximus]

Originally Posted by KenBob

I was wondering if the miles that were posted in the replies were based on the odometer reading being:

1) factory stock
2) with speedometer correcting tire size
3) with speedometer correcting electronic device
4) GPS

Being that there has been some debating on the Nomad's odometer/speedometer accuracy, one person's miles per tank may differ greatly from another's in similar conditions. JM2C

Great question Kenbob. I recently test my odo with a GPS and found both to be nearly identical --- my odo registered ~ 0.1 mile less over 20 miles. My speedo continues to overestimate my speed by ~7 or 8%.

So under my normal commuting conditions (frequent stop & go), my light comes on ~ 130 miles. Under highway riding, the light comes on ~ 170 miles. I try to fill up immediately after the first flicker.

BTW, I ride an 05.

[markusmaximus]

Originally Posted by KenBob

I was wondering if the miles that were posted in the replies were based on the odometer reading being:

1) factory stock
2) with speedometer correcting tire size
3) with speedometer correcting electronic device
4) GPS

Being that there has been some debating on the Nomad's odometer/speedometer accuracy, one person's miles per tank may differ greatly from another's in similar conditions. JM2C

Great question Kenbob. I recently test my odo with a GPS and found both to be nearly identical --- my odo registered ~ 0.1 mile less over 20 miles. My speedo continues to overestimate my speed by ~7 or 8%.

So under my normal commuting conditions (frequent stop & go), my light comes on ~ 130 miles. Under highway riding, the light comes on ~ 170 miles. I try to fill up immediately after the first flicker.

BTW, I ride an 05.

[skeeter]

6/13/10. New DunlopSP5000 195/60/16 Had only checked to the reserve light once and it had done just as well as the 180/70/16 Metz and light came on @172 miles.
I had taken a dead end side road off of Fm 335 and didn't think about fuel til I came back to 335 and looked at the mileage. It was already over 130 and I had a long way to go. It over 40 mi to possible fuel and they were closing now. I hit Garven Store @ 174 mi and the light flickered as I pulled away from the stop sign and left behind a closed gas station. Next stop is Hunt Tx.
Light came on steady @ 179 mi. I had been trying to keep the speed down to 60-65 to conserve fuel and tried to keep steady on the throttle. Turned down 1340 and passed a friends house. If I had to I could walk back and siphon gas from his bike. LOL. Pulled into the Hunt Store @ 199.7 mi and filled up with 4.929 gallons. Thanks God. My faith was a little shaky for a while, in God and machine. It was a battle to squash the worry and cast out doubt and unbelief.
40.51 mpg. 25 mi from first flicker of light.
Hardest part is staying out of the throttle.

[skeeter]

6/13/10. New DunlopSP5000 195/60/16 Had only checked to the reserve light once and it had done just as well as the 180/70/16 Metz and light came on @172 miles.
I had taken a dead end side road off of Fm 335 and didn't think about fuel til I came back to 335 and looked at the mileage. It was already over 130 and I had a long way to go. It over 40 mi to possible fuel and they were closing now. I hit Garven Store @ 174 mi and the light flickered as I pulled away from the stop sign and left behind a closed gas station. Next stop is Hunt Tx.
Light came on steady @ 179 mi. I had been trying to keep the speed down to 60-65 to conserve fuel and tried to keep steady on the throttle. Turned down 1340 and passed a friends house. If I had to I could walk back and siphon gas from his bike. LOL. Pulled into the Hunt Store @ 199.7 mi and filled up with 4.929 gallons. Thanks God. My faith was a little shaky for a while, in God and machine. It was a battle to squash the worry and cast out doubt and unbelief.
40.51 mpg. 25 mi from first flicker of light.
Hardest part is staying out of the throttle.

[skeeter]

6/13/10. New DunlopSP5000 195/60/16 Had only checked to the reserve light once and it had done just as well as the 180/70/16 Metz and light came on @172 miles.
I had taken a dead end side road off of Fm 335 and didn't think about fuel til I came back to 335 and looked at the mileage. It was already over 130 and I had a long way to go. It over 40 mi to possible fuel and they were closing now. I hit Garven Store @ 174 mi and the light flickered as I pulled away from the stop sign and left behind a closed gas station. Next stop is Hunt Tx.
Light came on steady @ 179 mi. I had been trying to keep the speed down to 60-65 to conserve fuel and tried to keep steady on the throttle. Turned down 1340 and passed a friends house. If I had to I could walk back and siphon gas from his bike. LOL. Pulled into the Hunt Store @ 199.7 mi and filled up with 4.929 gallons. Thanks God. My faith was a little shaky for a while, in God and machine. It was a battle to squash the worry and cast out doubt and unbelief.
40.51 mpg. 25 mi from first flicker of light.
Hardest part is staying out of the throttle.

[macmac]

Originally Posted by skeeter

submerged

Agreed.


The miles ridden with that light ON hard are going to be very expensive. If this is made a habit, another habit you will want is a spare pump and the tools to install it on the road.

[dantama]

I've known about the submerged fuel pump in regard to cars, but didn't think of it in regard to my bike till this thread.

In a car, you could drive for perhaps three hours straight with a pump that was getting hot. Say 5 gal. left in the tank 30mpg, 60mph=2 1/2 hours or so. On a Nomad, if it started to flicker with a gallon left, you'd theoretically only be able to go for a half hour with it on. 35mpg 60mph=1/2 hour of driving or so.

Is it being exaggerated due to thinking about cars, and having the pump twirling away for hours not cooled vs a bike for a half-hour, or is a half hour of not cooled that damaging.

Just trying to logic through this and see how much to worry.

[macmac]

Dan I have no idea how to answer that. The fact is the motor bearings get hot, and nothing is there to cool them much when the level gets too low which it is about first flicker. Who knows what lube is on these sealed breaings, and when they are dead there is no way to replace them.

The best way to keep the bearings cool is in a level of fuel, that removes as much heat as possible, which is at a minimum of level before or more than first flicker is.

Seeing that light on is gonna happen, but it is best to not linger with it on as habit.

Running out of gas to the point the bike stops is real bad. Then the pump will caviate. That means spin up due to sucking air which will allow too many rpms in the motor. AND No cooling. So far i ran out that much once.

Now the question is, DID this do any damage. The answer is I don't know, but for sure it didn't do the pump any good.

Last year I saw that yellow light flicker once, and on purpose. I hadn't seen it in a long time and wanted to test it to see if it was still working. On that ride I had the idea it quit working, but it didn't. Sure as the sun comes up in a longer distance than ever bore or ever since that light came to first flicker in around 198 miles. I got gas with in the next mile so it wasn't ever constant on.

[ronnie]

Well, I started this thread, by only asking how far you could go after the light came on...........BUT NOW, after the information I've gotten about the fuel pump in the tank, and overheat etc, which I had no idea that it even existed....... I could care less how far it will go.. From now on, I'll be trying not to even let the light come on, much less, ride very far after I notice it........thanks again for throwing this new information to me...